Stanford Manor

The arms of Warden Abbey

Volume III of The Victoria County History for Bedfordshire, published in 1912, gives details of all manors in the parish of Southill. Stanford Manor first occurs in the historical record in the mid 1280s when in the possession of John de Child. He died before 1287 and before 1316 his son, another John, alienated it to John de Pabenham who died in 1330. The last known de Pabenham to hold the manor was his son, James, in 1331. The Victoria County History asserts that the manor was probably granted to Warden Abbey in 1360 by William Burlee and others. It was certainly in abbey hands by 1428.

The Mordaunt family coat of arms

Warden Abbey was dissolved by King Henry VIII (1509-1547) in 1537 and the manor was then leased by the Crown. By 1574 Cuthbert Reyner had received a permanent grant from the Crown as in that year he sold the manor to George Mordaunt. A long law suit between Mordaunt and Thomas Bedell resulted in the property being confirmed to Mordaunt in 1579.

The Saint John family coat of arms

In 1595 George Mordaunt conveyed it to John, Lord Saint John of Bletsoe at which date the manor was absorbed by Stanfordbury Manor.